Problem: Facebook once used to return to you a reach of 1,000's per post and return you 100's of likes/views/follows and shares, but these days it just isn't cutting the mustard...

It’s a problem we hear often at Amica Live and we understand your pain. It’s not just you, it’s everyone, if that makes you feel any better?

No, probably not.

But you do want to know the fix right?

Well that’s good, because that is exactly what we aim to do in this post. Not that that will necessary be what you want to hear mind… this isn’t a push button solution I’m afraid. But it will ease your pain with a bit of an explanation of why this is happening and how you can turn things around.

Step 1: Change of approach

Alright, instead of approaching this from a ‘Why is Facebook doing this to us?’ stance, let’s try to understand the logic behind why they make these changes.

Firstly we need to try and remember that at its core Facebook is a social network. Social networks (especially the good ones) are built on the premise of interacting with friends and learning interesting things.

So how does the average person feel seeing your “buy our product today” post? At best, indifference. At worst? Annoyance.

Here’s the deal: you need to forget about traditional marketing. You’re on Facebook to connect.

And when I say ‘connect’ I mean ‘Interact’

Speaking of connecting, it’s amazing how few businesses actually do this. Part of engaging your audience is, well, actually talking to them. Your objective should be to develop a rapport with your followers. They’ve shown an interest in you, so show an interest in them!

Step 2: Provide Value

Even though this tip is a bit more general, the last Facebook algorithm change made it all the more necessary to provide value to fans. In fact, it may be the most useful piece of advice we can give you.

If you’re trying to trick your audience into signing up for your email list, you’re wasting your time (and a perfectly good opportunity).

Instead of focusing on getting people’s emails, think about creating a resource so useful that your audience can’t believe you just want their email address. Not only does this make you look like an authority on the subject, but it also increases the odds of that person actually staying subscribed to your emails.

Step 3: Information not promotion

If you’re writing a post on FB, make sure it’s informative. Pushing your own products 24/7 might seem perfectly acceptable by traditional marketing standards, but Facebook is anything but traditional.

Give your followers the truth and they’ll respect you for it. Ignore that advice and you’re going to have a hard time getting people to take you seriously.

Step 4: Never Settle

This is a silly one but we need to say it: Unfortunately, once a brand has been successfully built, most businesses get complacent. They don’t want to rock the boat.

Need an example? Take a look at AOL. Back in the late 90s, AOL wasn’t just a part of the Internet business industry, they were the leading Internet service provider of the time.

Those infamous AOL CD’s? They may seem laughable now, but they were actually a brilliant marketing technique that propelled the company into the mainstream.

Sadly, after struggling with the death of dial-up Internet and trying to compete with companies that embraced the future, AOL failed to bring anything new or exciting to the table and became a shell of its former self.

Moral of the story? Get with the times or get left behind. Innovation and expansion aren’t optional if you expect to run a successful business.

In the same vein, if you’re not yet on a social media platform and don’t have a website you’ll definitely be seen as outdated. Surely you’re not expecting your customers to phone you to ask what you do?

If you want to continue to succeed (especially on a site like Facebook, where novelty is king), you’ll need to constantly innovate and bring more and more to the table.

After all, when it comes to Facebook, you’re only as good as your last post. Keep it updated, keep it fresh, keep it relevant and remember it’s about connecting!

The New Formula?

So how does all this relate to why your numbers have dropped off the face of well, Facebook? Are you doing all the above? If so, it might be time to part with some pennies!

If your organic reach is becoming more and more limited try boosting the odd post. For a time boost a variety of types of post and monitor which get a better reception. Then going forward just pay to boost those that you know will succeed. That’s not to say that’s the only type of post you should create – after all variety is the spice of life and variety is what Facebook rewards!

Want to increase your fan base? Give Facebook Ads a try! There are many key objectives you can set within Facebook Ads from ‘growing your likes’ to ‘sending traffic to your website’ and the step by step process is easy to follow. Just ensure you make your money go further by setting audience profiles for your posts. There’s no point paying for the world to see it if you are based in a local town and are only ever going to convert local businesses or residents. The settings are really flexible and even let you tailor your reach down to people that like other Facebook pages or have specific interests. Have a play around and see which ones convert best for you. Facebook Ads can run from as little as £5 a day and depending on your targeting options can harvest some great results. (On a side note I’m always happy to talk you through this if you get stuck!)

So, in summary, don’t get disheartened with Facebook. It’s probably not you that’s stopped creating great content but check your last few posts against our tips here and try some targeted ads and boost some of your wittiest stuff and see if things improve.

Good Luck!

Have a go and let us know how you get on – need any help – give us a shout requests@amicalive.co.uk

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